Does 'lost' Ark exist in Ethiopia?

The Billings Gazatte ^ | August 17, 2002 ( Last modified August 17, 2002 - 12:37 am) | By RICHARD N. OSTLING

[vannrox]

August 17, 2002
Last modified August 17, 2002 - 12:37 am

Does 'lost' Ark exist in Ethiopia?

By RICHARD N. OSTLING

Associated Press

Thanks to Hollywood's "Raiders of the Lost Ark," the Ark of the Covenant is one of the most famous objects in the Bible. It's also one of the most mysterious, since the Bible doesn't say what happened to it. Ethiopian Christians, however, believe the ark still exists in their country. The biblical ark signified God's presence among his people. It was a wooden box containing the two tablets of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. In accord with God-given specifications (Exodus 25:10-22), the ark measured about 4 by 2.5 by 2.5 feet. There were two cherubs with outstretched wings on the lid, or "mercy seat." The ark was covered with gold and carried on poles inserted into rings as the Israelites migrated through the wilderness and Holy Land.



Divine powers rested with the ark. It dried up the Jordan River so the Israelites could cross (Joshua 3:14- 17) and brought plagues upon the Philistines when they seized it in battle (1 Samuel 4:11-5:12). King David installed the ark in a tent amid great rejoicing after he established Jerusalem as his capital (1 Samuel 6:1-19) and King Solomon ceremonially placed it in the Holy of Holies when the Temple was built (1 Kings 8:1-9). The ark still existed under King Josiah in the seventh century B.C.

Then it vanished.

The sacred box was somehow lost or destroyed when the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem in 587 B.C., or before that since it wasn't listed with the spoils the conquerors took from the Temple (2 Kings 25:13-17). Israel never built a replacement ark, in accord with God's command in Jeremiah 3:16.

So runs the standard Jewish and Christian story.

But Ethiopian Orthodox Christians disagree. Raymond Matthew Wray of the American Catholic magazine Crisis, who wrote about his own search for the lost ark, said there are five ark scenarios: The Hollywood version had the ark sitting in a U.S. government warehouse.

Some think ancient Israelites hid it under the Temple when the Babylonians invaded. Others say the Babylonians stole or destroyed it. The amateur archaeologist Ron Wyatt, who has since died, claimed he rediscovered the ark under the hill where Christ was crucified. There's no evidence for any of this. Then there's No. 5, the Ethiopian scenario.

The Bible reports that the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon. Most scholars say she came from present-day Yemen.

But Ethiopian legend maintains she was from that country and gave birth to Solomon's son Menelik, who founded a monarchy that lasted until 1974. This tradition says when Menelik visited Solomon, his aides stole the ark and brought it home. It was kept for centuries in other locations but is now said to be held under strictest secrecy in the town of Axum (or Aksum).

Wray trekked to Axum to see what he could find. The ark site is St. Mary of Zion Chapel, a modest stone Orthodox sanctuary, roughly 40 feet square, on the grounds of the town's main church. In the past the ark was brought forth from the chapel annually but was never seen and was covered with a cloth, supposedly to protect the people from the ark's power.

Today, a replica known as a tabot is paraded instead, to protect the ark. Tabots are important in Ethiopian churches, filling a place similar to icons in Greek and Russian Orthodoxy. Wray met with Abba Welde Giorgis, described to him as the guardian of the ark. The guardian's lifetime appointment is a great honor but also a burden, since it prohibits him from leaving the chapel compound. Unfortunately, Wray's article tells us nothing about the Ethiopian ark itself, either because he did not probe or because Giorgis was reticent. Nor did an Associated Press reporter find out anything on a previous visit.

The ancient mystery lingers.

We do learn from Wray that Ethiopians believe the ark has helped protect their country, as it did ancient Israel. For instance, Ethiopia is almost evenly split between Christians and Muslims, who are in conflict in neighboring Sudan and elsewhere. But "everybody in Ethiopia is living peacefully," Giorgis said. "The ark is having an impact on everyone."

[Camber-G]

So now I'm really interested ... you know exactly where it is, don't you ? C'mon, you can tell us !

[nightdriver]

Don't suppose anyone would care to read Rev11:19? Nawwww. Didn't think so.

[JudyB1938]

You beat me to it. I was just going to tell people that the Ark is in Heaven - not on this earth. Kinda strange how supposed "scholars" haven't discovered this verse yet.

***

REV 11:19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

[mlocher]

many in the world are looking for relics: arc of the covenant, noah's ark, the last supper chalice, jesus burial clothes, ... anyone remember the folly of trying to identify the shroud of turin?

[mlocher]

Both ARKS are supposed to be the salvation of mankind.

perhaps in their time. the eternal salvation of mankind is jesus christ.

but it is still a mystery why Jewish babies and children are continuing to suffer after some two thousand plus years when the Israelis are supposed to be the "chosen children of God"...

no mystery here. reason one: because there is sin, there will be suffering. i look up a few versus if you want. second: romans explains that the chosen children of god are his spiritual children from abraham, not the genetic children from abraham. that is, after the saviour's death, the nation of israel is no longer the chosen few. the chosen few are those who believe.

Forty days and forty nights of steady rainfall would extinguish a great proportion of all but the hardiest flora (maybe the coconut was spared for a reason)?

i am not sure how god did this, but it is possible for seeds to remain airborn for long periods of time. 40 days in the air is not a problem. seeds also get caught on animal fur, bird feet, etc. i don't think noah had to worry about plant life because god took care of that for him through other means.

[blam]

Thanks for the ping. I saw the one hour (I think by Hancock) TLC show on this subject. I don't have an opinion on this.

[crazykatz]

Interesting post. Thanks for posting it.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

The power of the arc is not to be had by mere men Joshua knew this as did others who lived in his time and as in ours there are no men onthis planet that could handle the arc it does not belong to us ...But to God its power must be weilded he will give guidence upon those who are worthy and those who are not sorrow will befall .

[Vidalia]

Have you checked out the links to the original laws/codes that the Bible was taken from, a.k.a. the Code of Law of Hammurabi?

[onedoug]

Except for ethical monotheism, which truly changed the world,
to where we're discussing this on FR, even now.

[LakerCJL]

ping for later reading...

[JudyB1938]

The Wyatt claim is even more fantastic than Hancock's, especially since he was a professed Christian. He reaffirmed all of his claims on his deathbed, so I guess he saw SOMETHING. What it was, I don't know - but it sure wasn't the original Ark of the Covenant. My son really scoffed when I told him about the Wyatt claims. I imagine you'd scoff even more if you read about them. LOL

I used to be on the Wyatt email list when he was still alive. For a while there, people were examining the possibility of some kind of electrical device being in the ark that caused its "powers". I don't remember the details of that though. I didn't pay much attention, because I thought it was silly.

[Lloyd227]

"They may have a good replica, possibly even the one made by Solomon for Sheba, but the original is in Israel in a catacomb under the north side of Old City of Jerusalem."

What's the reference source for this statement? Millions of us would like little more than to see this artifact 'discovered' but one can't just make statements like this without backing them up! :-)

[blam]

"For a while there, people were examining the possibility of some kind of electrical device being in the ark that caused its "powers". I don't remember the details of that though. "

I've read those stories too. There does seem to be an attempt at isolation with the poles though.

[crystalk]

Found in late December, 1981, by an American Seventh-day Adventist from Tennessee, now deceased, this has been guarded day and night by ultra-Orthodox Jews who sleep with it and guard it until in God's good time it can see the light of day.

If there is any doubt as to why it cannot do so yet, under what quarter of the Old City does it lie? If you don't know, take a guess.

With it among other things was a cabin-sized mass of goat hair fabric believed to be the original Tent of Meeting [Mishkan] from the wilderness. Urim v'Tummim were also present.

[crystalk]

Within an area of about 60 acres of surface, yes.

See also my post #35.

What matters is not what "EYE" may know, but what the AUTHORITIES know. I hope we are waiting upon God's prophetic keitzim, however, and not just upon the left wing in the USA or Europe to approve. Putting off God's will is rarely a good idea, even when one does at times see oneself and one's own as "grasshoppers."

[SunkenCiv]

From 2002. Just adding this to the GGG catalog, not sending a general distribution.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
Gods, Graves, Glyphs PING list or GGG weekly digest
-- Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[SunkenCiv]

· GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach · · join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe ·
	Antiquity Journal  & archive  Archaeologica  Archaeology  Archaeology Channel  BAR  Bronze Age Forum  Discover  Dogpile  Eurekalert  Google  LiveScience  Mirabilis.ca  Nat Geographic  PhysOrg  Science Daily  Science News  Texas AM  Yahoo  Excerpt, or Link only?	Just updating the GGG info, not sending a general distribution. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
· History topic · history keyword · archaeology keyword · paleontology keyword · · Science topic · science keyword · Books/Literature topic · pages keyword ·